Shell for ordnance.



G. HELDT.

SHELL FOB ORDNAHOE.

APPLlouIoN FILED un. rr, ma.

91 1,008. Patented .18.1126, 1909. Y

UNITED sfrn'rp PATENT onirica.

cani. nELnT, or DUSSELDORF, GERMANY, Assieme To nnnimscnr. MnTALLwAAanN-UND imscHiNs-NFABRIK, or uUssELDonr-nnaannonr. GERMANY.

SHELL non oanivnnon,

No. s1 1,008.

Patented Jan. 26, 1909.

Application filed April 7, 1908. Serial No. 426,744.

To all ywhom it may concern:

Be it known that l, CARL' HELDT, captain in the army, a subject of the German Ehnpcror, residing at 26 Kapellstrasse, Dusseldorf7 Germany, have invented certain new and useful lm rovements in Shells for 0rdnance; and I o herel \r declare the following to bc a full. clear, and exact description oi the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to a so-called combination shell, i. e. a shell which can he used not only as shrapnel but also, hy using a high explosive, as a. grenade, or it may be used simultaneously as both. This kind of shell has a charge of a high explosive, often placed in 'a separate part of the shell, such as in the head, or even in the rear part, and

this charge produces the effect of a grenader when it is detonated. Such shells also have a shrapnel charge and a Jlilling of shrapnel balls or the like7 the said charge consisting of an explosive not belonging to the class of high explosives. This charge is exploded when the shell acts as shrapnel, that is when it is to scatter the filling at a certain oint in its path of flight. In this form of tae combination the halls or other equivalent ieces constituting the filling, are embedde in a matrix consisting of a mass intended to increase the develo ment of smoke but without effect on the illing.V

The present inventlon relates to an improvement in shells of this kind whereby in the first lace an essential increase of the grenade e ect is obtained as compared with previous constructions. At the same time 1t is immaterial what special arran ement the shrapnel fillino has in relation to t e art acting as a grena e. For the purpose o oh taining the aforesaid increased grenade eiect, the balls constituting the filling are not as hitherto packed in a matrix consisting of a material as indifferent as possible in respect of explosive power, shell as Colophony, sul fur, or a iniiiture of such substances, but ,in a high-explosive. When in such a shell the high ex lesive frenado charco is detonated by the nown clevice when the shell strikes its target, the shock simultaneously detonates the explosive which contains the shrapnel filling. so that the effect of the shell as a grenade is considerably increased. li" the or lreak up the latter and are scattered. no-

ditference heilig produced as regards the path oi iiifrht or other effect ol the halls as compared` ivith the 'case in which the halls are ached in a matrix incapable of (intonation. 'l he explosion of the shrapnel powder ignites the high explosive matrix surrounding the halls, and this explosive burns but docsnot fietonate. The slow combustion of the hi 'h explosive matrix produces suillcicnt snwli'c to enable the shot to be watched, and on this apcount explosives which produce a large amount of smoke when slowly burned are specially suitable as a matrix for the halls. Lately, such a material has become known under the. name of trinitrotoluol. Since the matrix, under these circumstances. doos not detonate and its slow combustion docs not affect the path of the halls, its presence is harmless.

The accompanying drawing is an example of the present invention, showing n combination shell having the high explosive necessarj,T for the 'rl'enade effect in the fore part oi the shell. is renade charge is marked u.. The shrapne c rge b consisting of a pra pulsive pow ver such as black powder is in the rear part of the shell. The filling consists of spherical balls or shot c and is arranged in the middle part of the shell. Re tween the shot c are spaces which according to the present invention are filled with a high exvilosive d as a matrix.

Iil`he fuses employed may he oi' anyr or diria r kind. For an example, l have illus trate( a time fuse comprising e. hammer c carr fing a primerf seated in the head of the shel, and caused b the set back to strike the point g of the anvil h, the llamo traveling b'y the time ring i and channel to the shrapnel charge b; also'in combination therewith an impact fuse comprising a hammer k carrying a primer m carried forward by its mornentum against the point n of the anvil h, the flame. easing through the channel o to the grenst e charge a.

.Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is 1'. A shell for ordnance of the kind nontaining both e. slimpnel eliaicfe and filling and u grenade charge, the seid filling being packed in e high explosive in combination with means for causing the high explosive to detonate when the grenade char e dotonetes end to burn when the shrapne charge ex plodes.' i 2. A shell containing shrapnel bells einbedded in e matrix of high explosive, and means to detonete and menne to ignite said matrix.

3. A shell containing shraipnel balls ernbedded in a. charge of trinitrotoluol, in co1nbinetion with means to detonate and means to ignite seid trinitrotoluol.

4. A shell containing a grenade charge, a shrapnel charge, and shrapnel balls embedded in e matrix ofhigh explosive, a det onetor arranged to sot bn the grenade charge, and a time fuse arranged to ect on the shrepnel charge.

5. A shell containing :i grenade charge, e slim nel charge, and shrepnel bells embed ed in e matrix of trinitrotolnolbetween the grenade and slim. nel charges, an impact fuse arranged to etonate the grenade charge, and e time fuse arranged to ignite the slirapnelcllerge.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto ,af- 3e xed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CARL HELDT. Witnesses:

L. M. HANSEN, M. ALGER. 

